Launching the Gunship
by odalys-ortiz
Summary: Takes place after Isaac launches the gunship that Ellie is in during Chapter 13. There is some things after the ending that I added to try to end the game a bit differently. Isaac/Ellie Small ending spoilers as a warning. One-shot


Disclaimer: Just beat the game's hardcore and I felt so good that I wanted to write a fic for Isaac/Ellie. The Dead Space franchise does not belong to me but to EA and Visceral Games. Enjoy^^

Launching the Gunship

Ellie just continued to stare at the video hologram screw up by static. She had not disconnected, she didn't know if she wanted to. "You dumb bastard," she said out loud to no one and hesitantly shut off the link. It was a fat chance that Isaac would call her back after what he did. She didn't think that he was serious after they had crashed into the government sector with the drill. Isaac was talking all this nonsense about one of them being able to survive this. She ignored that and tried to convince him that they would get out together.

She hadn't known Isaac for very long, but if she had, she would know the reason why he stayed behind. Ellie moved to sit down in the pilot's chair, unsure of what to do. The ship moved at a slow rate towards the atmosphere and Ellie could feel the rumbling behind her shaking everything. Looking at the orange hologram, she placed a command to get a visual of the station to see what the hell was going on. When the video popped up, it was a sight that frightened her more then the hellish nightmare that Isaac had spared her from. The entire area was being engulfed in flames and there were small explosions popping up in different parts of the station.

She didn't know what she could do. Isaac was in there, intending to die as long as he destroyed that thing. "Grr…" Ellie gritted her teeth and tried to figure out what to do and fast. Looking behind her, she noticed that there was an orange Rig meant for surveyors. She rose from her seat and made her way over to the Rig. The idea that it presented was the only way that she would be able to get him out of there while there was still time. Without wasting another second, Ellie put the Rig over her thin clothing and then jumped back into the pilot's seat. There was no way it would be able to protect her from the flames so she would have to do what she had to do and fast.

Her fingers traveled across the hologram with the speed of a pro, trying to change the controls so that she would be able to fly it herself. A small siren began to ring with a warning and then a robotic voice came over the intercom. **It is not wise that you assume the controls until we are out of the sector. **"Well, I honestly don't care whether you think it's wise or not, I'm going back for him." Ellie continued to fight with this mechanical annoyance, losing more time when she did. Bypass and hacking through a few backdoors, she managed to do it. **Auto-pilot has been disengaged. **Ellie had mentally checked one thing off of her list of things to do and took the controls. Turning a sharp 180 degrees, she flew towards the massive structure that threatened to fall along with the Sprawl. Coming closer, Ellie moved her attention to finding Isaac.

She inputted the frequency of his Rig and went to execute a life scan since it was likely that he wouldn't pick up the phone. The computer processed the frequency and possible locations and started the scan. While this was going on, Ellie try to find him herself as she closed in on the destruction that he was in no question responsible for.

Nothing.

The fire inside was too intense to fly to close otherwise she risked crashing into building as a flaming meteor. The scan keep looking and looking to the point where Ellie, for the slightest second, assumed the worse. She stopped flying around in circles like a chicken with it head cut off and left herself hovering there. "You are a strange man, Isaac," she said, remembering back to when they had first met only a few hours ago. She wasn't as stress out emotionally as she was physically. She was surprised to admit that because of him, she was able to get through this further then would have thought. Ellie sighed, she wasn't one to cry.

When she was sad, she would take it out on the person who had caused her the pain, no matter what the consequences. Unfortunately for her, the things that caused her this pain were a bunch of blood hungry, menacing, unforgiving, undead, aliens. She couldn't take them all on, even if she tried. It was their fault that Isaac had gone and tried to fix everything that had happened to him by destroying the Marker. "No." She shook her head back. "There's no way he would die that easily. Come on you stupid computer, find him." As if on cue, a green light appeared confirming that there was somebody still alive smack dab in the middle of the station where the marker was probably being held.

Taking a chance, Ellie tried to force a transmition through to the Rig. Even if he wasn't going to pick up the phone, he was damn well going to hear what she had to say. She assumed the controls once again and made her way to the large tower. As she moved closer she could see them. Tons of necromorphs were gathered around the marker as if waiting for something to happen. The large bright light that shot out of the area blinded Ellie's eyes for a few moments, causing her to lose control for the briefest of seconds.

Thanks to her training though, she had everything back under control. Finally the channel was open for communication and when the hologram showed him just sitting there and accepting his fate, Ellie didn't waste time in letting Isaac have it. He couldn't even fathom how surprised he was to see Ellie just show up after he sent her on her way to protect her. He let himself chuckle because he could hear it in her voice that she thought of him as being an idiot for doing all this. The area was falling apart around him and he could even think. The explosions and the constant klaxon would have made things quite difficult to hear, but he still heard her plans to get him out. "Wait no Ellie. It's too late. Steer clear of the station."

She shook her head. "Sorry but you don't have a choice this time. Heads up." An explosion from above cut off their transmition and Isaac saw as Ellie flew through the hole, avoiding the debris. She knew that she couldn't land; the area was just too unstable. Besides, there were other ways to catch a ride right? Ellie began to circle the object that was formerly the marker, waiting for Isaac. The area itself was at the brink of collapse due to Ellie's entrance. Isaac's mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do. **Warning Gravity Failure **His breathing became shallow as the oxygen in the room disappear and Isaac could feel himself being forcibly lift off the ground.

Without a second thought, he put his helmet back on and blasted the thrusters. Moving through the debris alongside the gunship, Isaac was searching for a way inside. After avoiding a large piece, he managed to get close to the side door and a sight for soar eyes greeted him. Ellie was watching through an external camera while trying to avoid the things in her way. This was their last chance. If they could not get out now, they never would. Seeing him closing in on the side of the ship, Ellie got up from the chair and put on a helmet to breathe. Pressing the button on the panel, the hatch opened to a strong vacuum that almost sucked her out of the door.

She looked around and could make out Isaac as he was gaining ground. Once he was close enough, she stretched her body out as far as it could and extended her hand. "Isaac, take my hand." He was struggling just to keep control of his flight and the distance between them was so close. "I'm trying. I'm trying," he yelled as his fingertips grazed hers for what seemed like the hundredth time. He tried to focus and fly in closer as their surroundings threatened to push them apart until he wrapped his hand firmly around her and she pulled him in for a rough landing. Without a second to rest, Ellie got up and took the pilot's seat once again. "Shut the hatch. Shut the hatch." Isaac inputted the command into the panel and saw the entire station disappeared in a cloud of fire before the door.

The bright light engulfed the gunship as Ellie immediately took it outside of the atmosphere, leaving the destruction that used to be the Sprawl behind them. Isaac took the passenger's seat and took of his helmet. He could feel his heart finally slowing down for the first time since waking up to a flashlight being shune in his eyes. Seeing the vast darkness of space ahead of him, Isaac suddenly felt a cold chill down his neck and held his breath. It was just like back then, when he destroyed the red Marker. It was just too quiet. He kept his guard up and slowly turned his head to the right. What he saw wasn't Nicole, but Ellie.

He wasn't imagining things this time and released a breath. "What," Ellie was confuse to say the least. Isaac was looking at her as if he had seen a ghost. "Nothing, just so bad memories, that's all." He eyes scanned the orange hologram in front of him. "So where to now?" Ellie was looking through their options. "Well, there is an independent station that would take 3 days to reach if I use the shockdrive." Isaac nodded. "That should be no trouble. These ships are usually supplied for trips twice that long for two people so we'll be all set." Ellie inputted the commands and the ship steered itself towards their next destination. Her body finally went lax and she slumped in the chair. She was exhausted, but she was still alive so she couldn't really complain. "Well, I guess we should get some rest until we get there."

Ellie notice that despite the missing eye, she got off pretty easy compared to Isaac. He was just hurting all over. Not just from the countless attacks from necromorphs, but the last few that ultimately decided the fate of the marker. He could feel the blood trickle from his eye and the two holes that Tiedemann put in him with his javelin gun just burned. He got up from the seat, but need the wall for support. Ellie, seeing this got up and offer him some help. "Thanks" he said and allowed himself to be dragged to the back of the ship where the medical supplies would have been kept. "Don't think that me helping you out gets you out of owning me for my eye," she tried to joke to lighten the mood as she laid him down on the bed.

"Have I told you that I was sorry about that? If it hadn't been for me asking you to take care of Stross because I needed his help, it would have never happened. I guess you had your reason not to trust me after all." Ellie looked at him, then gave him a light jab on his uninjured shoulder. "Isaac, really it's nothing to worry about. I can get a prosthetic and then I will be back to flying in no time. Now just lay back so that I can get your Rig off." Without another word, Isaac did was she said and Ellie back away to allow the machine to free him of his suit.

The white light shone through the small gap and then finished the process. When the upper half of the tube lifted, Ellie was taken back by all of the scars that Isaac had to show. His body was covered in scratches, bites, and burned skin. The crazy thing is that some of them looked to be quite old. "They're from the Ishimura three years ago." Ellie took a seat next to him. "Isaac..." He couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry Ellie. I just need some rest and I'll be as good as new to say the least." "Right, let me just treat you and then I'll just keep watch over the panels for a bit." She looked into a cabinet and got some supplies to clean his wounds.

Isaac seemed like the kind of guy that shrugged off all of his wounds. Ellie didn't claim to be a doctor in the slightest but Isaac's injury's in all were just a few scratches that needed to be disinfected, which she had done. She could feel his body begin to relax under her fingers. When she looked to his face, she was taken by surprise to see that he really had fallen asleep. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she quickly finished up the cleaning. After putting everything away, Ellie grabbed a thin blanket from the closet and covered Isaac to keep him comfortable.

She turned her back to him and made her way back to the pilot's seat. There was nothing else that could be done at the moment but sit and wait for the ship to reach its destination. She really didn't have to monitor any part of the procedure. The ship was more then capable of performing the procedure on auto-pilot. In the end, Ellie just decided to make herself comfortable as she watched dozens of stars pass by the thick sheet of glass that separated her from them. She started to change her position in the chair until her legs were hanging off the arm rest. She looked back at Isaac, who was still asleep, and figured that he had the right idea.

She tried to make herself as comfortable as she could in the chair. She really didn't want to leave her post in case a situation arose. She leaned her head on the cushioned headrest and just looked out to the universe. It didn't take long before her eyelids felt heavy. Soon her entire world was engulfed in darkness just as the ship began its jump to their next destination.

A/N: Okay so I had a small idea to add to the ending so hopefully it's a little bit better. I hope you guys enjoy this ending a bit more^^


End file.
